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186th out of 2,592 books
—
903 voters
The Earth Moved: On the Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms
by
Amy Stewart (Goodreads Author)
"Engrossing" (The Christian Science Monitor), "fascinating" (TimeOut New York), "delightfully nuanced" (Entertainment Weekly), "terrific" (New York Newsday), "inspiring" (Bust magazine). "You know a book is good when you actually welcome one of those howling days of wind and sleet that makes going out next to impossible" (The New York Times).
The Earth Moved has moved rev...more
The Earth Moved has moved rev...more
Paperback, 223 pages
Published
March 11th 2005
by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
(first published February 5th 2004)
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I really wanted more out of this book. The whole time I felt like the author really did not have enough to fill up a whole book and was just making small talk to get over 100 pages. But I did learn some interesting things about earthworms. The part about earthworms being a destructive force to forests of the Northwest was really interesting *yet one of her shortests chapters*. Beyond that I might was well of read Darwins works on earthworms, because 2/3rds of this book read like a bookreport on...more
Worms have fascinated me since childhood and now I know why. Don’t get me wrong, I have read about and have a clear understanding of worm composting or vermiculture and its tremendous benefits but for one reason or another I had yet to fully embrace the practice. Then I received a review copy of Amy Stewart’s The Earth Moved: On the Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms and accepted my fate as a newly-minted worm guy.
If you have never read Stewart’s work you are in for a treat. It is no accident...more
If you have never read Stewart’s work you are in for a treat. It is no accident...more
Conventional wisdom tells us that earthworms are beneficial to plants. While tunneling through the earth, they aerate the soil and allow for deeper penetration of water to plant roots. With their castings (uh...excreta) they enrich the soil with nutrients. But oligochaetology (yes, the study of worms) is still a new science, and only in recent years have scientists started to dig deeper (pardon the pun) and find out what else these guys are up to underneath our feet. For example, the presence of...more
I can honestly say that this was the best book I've ever read about worms. Except for maybe Dune, but that was more giant space worms and only part of the book concerned them. In any case, it's a pretty interesting and well written overview of earthworms, from their history to what roles they play in the environment.
Stewart, as she tells us in the introduction, is a gardener and not a scientist, but luckily there is actually a decent amount of actual science to be found here, even if it is just...more
Stewart, as she tells us in the introduction, is a gardener and not a scientist, but luckily there is actually a decent amount of actual science to be found here, even if it is just...more
Aug 08, 2011
Fsiemsen
added it
Amy Stewart's vigorously researched book contributes richly laden information about earthworms that any gardener, farmer, or environmentalist would take special interest in, however her infectious approach could attract even the most casually interested reader. In addition to being incredibly informative, the book oftentimes is very poetically written so much so that I found myself with tears in my eyes. In addition to citing instances of earthworms contributions to waste management and the reha...more
Honestly, I will never look at earthworms quite the same way.
I've always enjoyed seeing them in my garden, knowing their presence was a sign of healthy soil. But I had no idea quite how much these seemingly insignificant creatures can accomplish.
Amy Stewart isn't a formally trained scientist. What she is, is a gardener with a passion for the process of growing things and a lively, curious mind. Oh, and a writer with a real talent for engaging her reader. Her prose is articulate, funny, and smoot...more
I've always enjoyed seeing them in my garden, knowing their presence was a sign of healthy soil. But I had no idea quite how much these seemingly insignificant creatures can accomplish.
Amy Stewart isn't a formally trained scientist. What she is, is a gardener with a passion for the process of growing things and a lively, curious mind. Oh, and a writer with a real talent for engaging her reader. Her prose is articulate, funny, and smoot...more
I really enjoyed this book. Written by a professional gardener but an amateur with worms, the book makes for a very easy read yet keeps the reader intrigue with the subject of earthworms. The book covers a healthy variety of subjects including the earthworm's biology, ecology, and role in the natural and human environment. The author does well to stick to the benefits and also the negative effects of an earthworm's presence.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who is curious on the subject of...more
I highly recommend this book for anyone who is curious on the subject of...more
There is some interesting material here: Darwin's experiments with worms, the ways worm segments can be severed and fused together, worms' different roles (in organic farming; as invasive species), and the fact that worms hate wasabi.
But maybe I was expecting too much from a book about worms. Even compensating for the fact that this is a short book, I didn't feel like it had much to say. One is largely left with the impression that scientists just don't know much about worms, and that the author...more
But maybe I was expecting too much from a book about worms. Even compensating for the fact that this is a short book, I didn't feel like it had much to say. One is largely left with the impression that scientists just don't know much about worms, and that the author...more
This was fantastic. I can't stress enough how much i enjoyed this book. I had never known any of the facts Amy Stewart unearths in her study of the underground population of the world, and I had never asked any of the questions she asked, and i am glad i got to vicariously ride along on her earthworm explorations. The thing that will probably stay with me the longest is 'earthworms make decisions', and that changes a lot of assumptions for me across the board. Good work, well done. Any book that...more
"Engrossing" (The Christian Science Monitor), "fascinating" (TimeOut New York), "delightfully nuanced" (Entertainment Weekly), "terrific" (New York Newsday), "inspiring" (Bust magazine). "You know a book is good when you actually welcome one of those howling days of wind and sleet that makes going out next to impossible" (The New York Times).
The Earth Moved has moved reviewers across the country. In witty, offbeat style, Amy Stewart takes us on a subterranean adventure and introduces us to our p...more
The Earth Moved has moved reviewers across the country. In witty, offbeat style, Amy Stewart takes us on a subterranean adventure and introduces us to our p...more
A few surprises were in store for me as I read this lovely little book. Most of us know that earthworms play a crucial role in the fertility of our soil, but how many of us know that they can actually be quite destructive, too? Or that there are projects in which earthworms are helping to process our waste? Or that the world of earthworms actually holds more mystery than knowledge, for the simple fact that they can be so hard to study?
Amy Stewart drew me into her book with her obvious love of ga...more
Amy Stewart drew me into her book with her obvious love of ga...more
favorite quote: "[T:]he earthworm, far from being one of the smallest and weakest creatures, is actually one of the largest beings in its world, its underground society. In that place, it is an elephant, a whale--a giant." (p. 52)
runners up: "[W}e need worms more than they need us." (p.174)
"[E:]arthworms are not destroyers, but redeemers. They move through waste and decay in their contemplative way, sifting, turning it into something else, something that is better." (p. 151)
some things i've lear...more
runners up: "[W}e need worms more than they need us." (p.174)
"[E:]arthworms are not destroyers, but redeemers. They move through waste and decay in their contemplative way, sifting, turning it into something else, something that is better." (p. 151)
some things i've lear...more
1 like · like · see review
I loved this book. Its easy to read and full of fascinating information about earthworms...among them the revelation that we really don't know much about them at all! So exciting to see how much there is left to discover. I want a worm farm now really badly. The next time we move I'm going to get one started. I hear the author has written other gripping biological stuff and I'm totally salivating thinking about reading more of this kind of material. Stewart gets high marks and is officially one...more
2 likes · like · see review
I love this book. I find earthworms fascinating and The Earth Moved only served to increase this. Stewart writes in an easily read conversational way and her own enthusiasm for worms is clear with every sentence. Of course, the fact that she keeps a pot of dirt on her desk just to put worms in for fun also demonstrates that enthusiasm.
Stewart's overarching theme is the power of the common earthworm. Tremendous good can come from the presence of earthworms, but so can tremendous harm. North Amer...more
Stewart's overarching theme is the power of the common earthworm. Tremendous good can come from the presence of earthworms, but so can tremendous harm. North Amer...more
This is an exciting book, a thrilling, weird read. Worms!
Did you know they make choices about how to drag leaves into holes, that they contemplate geometry?! Wow.
The author is a gardener, and brings to her writing a gentle compassion for her subject that is both endearing and infectious. She clearly spends a great deal of time kneeling in her garden patch, communing with the variety of critters that call it home. She is thoughtful and clear, excited and fun - she manages to walk a fine line betw...more
Did you know they make choices about how to drag leaves into holes, that they contemplate geometry?! Wow.
The author is a gardener, and brings to her writing a gentle compassion for her subject that is both endearing and infectious. She clearly spends a great deal of time kneeling in her garden patch, communing with the variety of critters that call it home. She is thoughtful and clear, excited and fun - she manages to walk a fine line betw...more
I really enjoyed sections of this book very much. Other parts were pretty dry to read but did lend additional weight to the "science" behind this song of appreciation. There are so many interesting things that I learned! For instance, earthworms pull bits of leaves and pine needles into the entrance to their burrows so as to block the draft. Darwin studied them in his final years and they gave him great joy. There are tons of kinds of worms, some of which Amy describes as the whales of the earth...more
Being a biologist and an avid gardner, I really wanted to like this book. It didn't seem very well-written to me--rather disorganized and shallow. I liked the information on earthworms as far as it went, but I would have liked a good description of their physiology and metabolism to show how they can leave behind so much material in their cast.
My main criticism, however, is that the author attributed work to earthworms that is really the collective work of all decomposing organisms.
My main criticism, however, is that the author attributed work to earthworms that is really the collective work of all decomposing organisms.
Interesting without being terribly substantial - it was perfect for my deeply sleep-deprived plane ride home. Lots of interesting tidbits about earthworms - for example, I had no idea that the common worms are not native to North America and are actually causing problems in forests in some places. And of course Australia has a giant earthworm. Australia has all the ridiculous creatures. A good read to encourage me to actually get my worm bucket going.
The story of earth worms. Earthworms, so much more interesting than you thought. And it is full of little tidbits that get my mind going. Like how the hell do you study earthworms? How does earthworm distribution affect the ecosystem? How can introduced earthworms effect native flora? What about earthworm extinction? I had not thought so much about the little dudes and dudettes in the leaf litter and below the soil before this book. Really neat.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was very interesting and informative, not to mention the fact that I (someone who has just recently shown an interest in gardening in the back yard) am inspired to get my own little worm compost bin so these truly amazing creatures can help my little garden grow. You can tell the author has a genuine respect and even love for the subject. That, coupled with her almost conversational way of presenting the information, makes for a very good read.
Alright, it's official, Amy Stewart is amazing. She made me fall in love with earthworms. EARTHWORMS! I now care about the soil I walk on and the worms inside it that help it grow the food that I eat. And I can say with certainty that I never thought I would care one whit about any of that.
There's something about how she writes. I'm positive that she could write a book on the lint underneath my sofa and I would find it riveting.
She makes the reader feel as though her garden is their garden. We...more
There's something about how she writes. I'm positive that she could write a book on the lint underneath my sofa and I would find it riveting.
She makes the reader feel as though her garden is their garden. We...more
2 likes · like · see review
Really liked this one. Stewart poses questions I never thought of - do worms make conscious choices, do they like to be touched? I've always wondered about worms, and this book really gives an easy-to-read yet in depth description of how they live and what they do - and, how little we really know about them. You will be surprised at their influence. A good book for the curious.
This is an incredibly interesting book. Not only does it cover the red wiggler, but also talks about many other breeds and types of worms that exist in the world.
Amy Stewart lends particular appreciation to the work of Charles Darwin and other scientists in the research of worms.
By reading this book, you will gain a new appreciation for the amazing habits of worms.
Amy Stewart lends particular appreciation to the work of Charles Darwin and other scientists in the research of worms.
By reading this book, you will gain a new appreciation for the amazing habits of worms.
Well, who knew worms could be so interesting!
I'm going to have to look more closely to my worm population. Luckily, I'm sure I don't have any of the giant worms from Oregon or Australia. I can deal with earthworms but two or three-foot long ones just might be too much for me, no matter how good they are for the soil.
I'm going to have to look more closely to my worm population. Luckily, I'm sure I don't have any of the giant worms from Oregon or Australia. I can deal with earthworms but two or three-foot long ones just might be too much for me, no matter how good they are for the soil.
A book about worms - could be a bit slow-moving eh? Actually, I learned a lot from this book, and it was a nice supplement now that I myself have been vermicomposting for a little over a year. Did you know that Charles Darwin conducted experiments upon and wrote a book about worms and believed them to be highly intelligent and industrious creatures?
The author writes about the effect that worms have upon environments, both good and bad, as well as what various experts have said about worms. She...more
The author writes about the effect that worms have upon environments, both good and bad, as well as what various experts have said about worms. She...more
Very interesting and well written discussion about worms. The topic may seem mundane, but Stewart elevates them, showing that they can be powerful agents through change in geological time, and may hold the keys to solving some of our most vexing problems, such as waste disposal and large-scale sustainable agriculture.
I bought this book and had it read in less than a week. It is a bit science-y at times, and that's ok, because it needs to be at those points.
Amy Stewart's easy to read style combined with scientific facts and personal anecdotes make this a worthy read. You might even start up a worm bin or two when you're done.
Amy Stewart's easy to read style combined with scientific facts and personal anecdotes make this a worthy read. You might even start up a worm bin or two when you're done.
I was most interested in the functionality of using worms in the small scale backyard garden and the large scale waste management. There were a couple of tangents that I was less interested in reading about. I think that I might seek more knowledge about worms after reading this book, though I don't see myself running out to hold or pet a worm, as the author.
A light and fun summertime read that will surprise you with how much there is to know about earthworms. I love Stewart's writing, and while this book didn't live up to Flower Confidential, I think that had more to do with the subject matter at hand. I appreciated the incites into Stewart's own garden and her unabashed obsession with her worms.
Jun 08, 2011
William Herschel
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
gardeners, farmers, environmentalists
This was a bit disappointing. I wouldn't suggest this for a general look into earthworms. This is more of an enthusiastic ode to worms with a huge emphasis on organic gardening/farming and environmental solutions involving earthworms. Her exuberance and awe shining on every page were nice, though. People should give more notice to worms.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| Morning Coffee Group: Something about coffee and worms . . . | 2 | 16 | Apr 05, 2013 09:37pm |
Amy Stewart lives in northern California. Her essays and commentaries have appeared in the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Garden Design, Organic Gardening, and elsewhere. She's been featured on NPR, Good Morning America and CBS Sunday Morning.
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) granted her a Creative Writing Fellowship for 2006, and she's the winner of the California Horticultural...more
More about Amy Stewart...
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) granted her a Creative Writing Fellowship for 2006, and she's the winner of the California Horticultural...more
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“Perhaps it makes sense that a creature that doesn't get ill and has few enemies among its neighbors would also live agelessly and die without explanation or cause--would simply vanish without a trace.”
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2 people liked it
“Eternity can be found in the minuscule, in the place where earthworms, along with billions of unseen soil-dwelling microorganisms, engage in a complex and little-understood dance with the tangle of plant roots that make up their gardens, their cities.”
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1 person liked it
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Mar 02, 2009 06:28am